Eccentric driving mechanism for power washing-machines



H. H. TOLL AND F. C. DUI-'F.-

MACHINES.

EccENmIc omvl NG MECHANISIVI FOR POWEfIA WASHING APPLICATION FILED FEB.23. 191B. RENEWED OCT. 22, I pm m 9.732.

Patented May 31, LQZL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- um. Q E 00000000 mw,

m. mm, 9m. M

ECCEN LST/9.732..

APPLICATION FILED FEB..23| 1918-' RE H. H. TOLL AND F. C. DUFF. NGMEcHANlsM FOR POWER WASHING MACHINES.

NEWED'OCT. 22, 1920.

Patented May 3L H2L 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2l TRIC DRIVI /fv VE/v rams.-

Hff. TOLL ma( siren sraras @ATENE FFQE,

HERMAN H. TOLL AND FRANK C. DUFF, OF CLARINDA, IOWA.

ECCENTRIG DRIVING vMECI-1'ANISlVl FOR POWER TTASHINGJVIACHINES.

Specification ofvLetters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1921.

Application filed February 23, 1918, Serial No. 218,746. Renewed October22, 1920. Serial No. 418,764.

T 0 all whom/ may concern.'

Be it known that we, HERMAN H. TOLL and F RANK C. Dori, citizens of theUnited States of America, and residents of Clarinda, Page county, owa,have invented a new and useful Eccentric Driving Mechanism for Powerlashing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

rlhe object of this invention is to provide an improved drivingmechanism especially designed for use on power washing machines.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means fortransforming continuous rotary motion into oscillatory rotary motion.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for transmittingpower from a continuously rotating` horizontally arranged driving shaftto a vertically arranged follower adapted to be alternately rotated oroscillated in opposite directions, through the use of oppositelyarranged eccentrics on said driving shaft.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means foroperatively connecting oppositely arranged eccentrics on j a drivingshaft with a follower shaft.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means foradjusting the connecting devices between the eccentrics and thefollowe'r.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved means forautomatically disconnecting the follower device from the driving shaftwhen the movable member on which the follower is mounted is turned to acertain position, as for instance, open position of a movable covermember of a washing machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide a driving mechanism forpower washing machines which shall combine simplicity of constructionwith ease and quietness in operation, which mechanism is adapted forready and quick application to a washing machine.

" With these and other objects in view, our

invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination ofelements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claims andillustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a planillustrating the application of our improved mechanism to a powerwashing machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section substantially on the line2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation, partly in section and on anenlarged scale, on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a similar viewon the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5of Fig. 3.

In the construction of the mechanism as shown the numeral 10 designatesa suitable support such as a washing machine tub, formed with a fixedcover member 11 and a movable cover member 12 adapted to overlie themajor portion of the top of the tub. A supporting plate 13 is mounted onand suitably fixed to the fixed cover member 11, and said plate isformed with spaced, integral, upstanding bearing brackets 14, 15 nearits ends. A driving shaft 16 is journaled for rotation in the brackets14, 15 and extends longitudinally of and above the Xed cover member 11.Hinge members 17, 18 are secured to the top of the movable cover member12, as by bolts 19, extend upwardly and outwardly beyond the margin ofsaid cover member, and have bearings at their opposite ends on thedriving shaft 16, preferably adjacent the brackets 14, 15. Thus 'apivotal connection of the cover member 12 to the support is provided,the axis of articulation being removed laterally and vertically from thejoining line between the cover members 11, 12. Any suitable means may beprovided to limit outward movement of the movable cover member 12 on itshinged supports.

A motor bracket 20 is mounted on the side ber 12 and a housing andbearing memberV 29 is mounted on said plate, said plate and housingbeing conjunctively secured to the cover member as by bolts 30, ywhichbolts preferably pass through slots 31 in said cover member. A dollypost 32 is mounted for rotary oscillation and has its end portionsjournaled in the bearing plate 28 and upper portion of the housing 29. Adolly shaft 33 is formed angular in cross-section and is mounted throughthe post 32 and is adapted for sliding movement relative to and forrotary oscillation with said post. The dolly shaft 33 projects throughthe plate 28 and through a slot 34 in the cover member 12 and carries onits lower end a dolly or agitator 35. The dolly shaft 33 also projectsthrough the top of the housing 29 and has a head or knob 36 fixed to itsupper end, adapted to contactv with the top of the housingand limitdownward movement of the shaft and dolly and also adapted to be graspedmanually to raise the dolly by sliding movement of the shaft 33 in thepost 32. This sliding movement permits an adjustment of the dollydevices to the quantity of clothes contained in the tub.

The housing 29 is formed with an opening 37 in one side and a chain orother flexiblemember, designated by the numeral 38, is fixedintermediate of its ends to the dolly post32 as by a pin 39, on the sideof said post opposite to the opening 37 in the hous` ing, and has itsends projected on opposite sides of said post through said opening.Eccentric rods 40, 41 are fixed to end portions of the chain 38 and saidrods are formed at their opposite ends with integral eccentric straps42, 43 embracing the eccentrics 24, 25 respectively. The eccentricstraps 42, 43 preferably are formed with hooks 44 at their endsconnected by clamps 45 to the respective rods on which said straps areformed. The rods 40, 41 and straps 42, 43 preferably are circular incrosssection, and the eccentrics 24, 25 are peripherally grooved toreceive said straps. When the shaft 16 is operated and the sleeve 23 isclutched thereto, alternating rotary motion is imparted to the dollypost and devvices carried thereby by alternate draft in oppositedirections on the chain 38, through the oppositely arranged eccentrics24, 25,

eccentric straps 42, 43 and eccentric rods 40, 41. The operation of thedolly devices in this manner is exceedingly quiet as there are nointermeshing gears between the driving shaft and dolly shaft, few placeswhere friction can occur, and a small number of movable parts.

A brace 46 has a bearing 47 at one end on the sleeve 23 and is connectedat its opposite end to the bearing plate 28 by a bolt 48, which boltpasses through a slot 49 in said brace. The bearing 47 of the brace 46engages the sleeve 23 between the eccentrics 24, 25 and braces andreinforces said sleeve against the lateral strain through saideccentrics, and also maintains the desiredrelation between said sleeveand the bearing plate 28 and members connected therewith. The bearingplate 28 may be adjusted toward or away from the sleeve 23 and otherdriving members by loosening the bolts 30, the slots 31 permitting therequired movement of said bolts and the slot 34 permitting a similarmovement of the dolly shaft 33. In this operation the bolt 48 is alsoloosened, the slot 49 permitting a movement of said bolt relative to thebrace 46. The slots 31 and 34 are covered and concealed by the bearingplate 28. The adjusting operation above described provides a means fortightening or loosening the chain 38 relative to the members with whichlit is connected, and the bolts 30 and 48 maintain such adjustment whentightened.

The eccentrics 24, 25 are substantially in line with diametricallyopposite points on the dolly post 32, and the opening 37 in the housing29 is of sufficient width to permit a free movement of the chain 38therethrough. By means of the oppositely arranged eccentrics a full halfrevolution is imparted to the dolly post and shaft in each direction.

A shifting lever 50 is pivoted on the supporting-plate 13 and engages,as by a'yoke 51, with a peripheral groove I52 in the sliding clutchmember 27, thus providing means for engaging and disengaging said clutchmember relative to the clutch member 26 on the sleeve 23, for operativeor inoperative condition of the sleeve and eccentrics. An automaticshifting arm 53 is pivoted at one end to the lever 50 and extendslaterally therefrom and slidingly through the bearing bracket 15'.

The automatic shiftingarm 53 is formed with an upwardly opening notch 54in its Y through the notch lof the'automatic shifting arm 53, shortlyafter such movement of the cover member is `initiated, and .ion case theshifting lever 50 1s 1n position Io-r en .gagement of the clutch member27 with the clutch member 26 of the driving mechanism,

an inclined face of said cam wedge engages a varm 53, to inoperativeposition. As the movement of the cover member l2 is continued the camwedge `56 passes through and beyond the notch 54, so that after suchmovement is completed the shifting lever 50 may .be operated manually ineither direction. Opening or closing movement of the cover member 12,however, always results in a disconnection of the driving mechanismthrough the means described, so that thereafter a definite selectiveconscious act of the operator is required to place the mechanism inoperation. By this means injury to the operator, to the mechanism or tothe work objects, such as clothing, is prevented, which might resultfrom inadvertently opening or closing the tub while the dolly is beingoperated.

We claim as our invention- 1. A driving mechanism, comprising a support,a driving member ournaled on said support and formed with oppositelyarranged eccentrics, a bearing plate carried by said support, a housingon said plate, a member mounted for rotary oscillation in said bearingplate and housing, said housing being formed with an opening directedtoward said driving member, a flexible connector fixed intermediate ofits ends to said oscillatory member and extending through the opening insaid housing, and driving connections between the ends of said connectorand the respective eccentrics.

2. A driving mechanism, comprising a driving member formed withoppositely ar ranged eccentrics, a member mounted for rotaryoscillation, a flexible connector xed intermediate of its ends to saidoscillatory member, eccentric rods fixed to opposite ends of saidflexible connector, each of said rods being formed with an eccentricstrap engaging one of said eccentrics, each of said straps being formedwith a hook on its end, and a clamp connecting each of said hooks to thecorresponding eccentric rod.

3. A driving mechanism, conpr1sing a driving shaft, a sleeve looselymounted on said shaft and formed with oppositely arranged eccentrics, amember mounted for rotary oscillation, a flexible connector fixedintermediate of its ends to said oscillatory member, operativeconnections between opposite ends of said flexible connector and saideccentrics, and means for operatively connecting said sleeve to saidshaft.

4. A driving mechanism for power washing machines formed with a fixedand a' movable cover member,pcomprising a driving shaft journaled onsaid fixed. cover member, a sleeve loosely mounted on said shaft andformed with a pair of oppositely arranged eccentrics, a dolly devicemounted for rotary oscillation on said movable cover member, a flexibleconnector fixed intermediate of its ends to said dolly device, operativeconnections between each of said eccentrics and an end portion of saidflexible connector, and means for operatively 4connecting said sleeve tosaid shaft.

5. A driving mechanism for power washing machine formed with fixed andmoving able cover members,`comprising a driving shaft ournaled on saidfixed. cover member, a sleeve vloosely mounted on said shaft and formedwith'a pair of oppositely arranged eccentrics, a dolly device mountedfor rotary oscillation on the movable cover member, a flexible connectorfixed intermediate of its ends to said dolly device, operativeconnections between each of said eccentrics and one end of said flexibleconnector, said sleeve being formed with a clutch member, a coactingclutch member feathered to said shaft and adapted to engage the firstmentioned clutch member, and means for shifting said feathered clutchmember.

6. A driving mechanism for power washing machines having fixed andmovable cover members, comprising a driving shaft journaled on saidfixed cover member, a sleeve loosely mounted on said shaft and formedwith a pair of oppositely arranged eccentrics, a dolly device mountedfor rotary oscillation on the movable cover member, a flexible connectorfixed intermediate of its ends to said dolly device, operativeconnections between each of said eccentrics and an end portion of saidflexible connector, said sleeve being formed with a clutch member, acoacting clutch member feathered to said shaft and adapted to engage thefirst clutch member, a lever for shifting said feathered clutch member,and means on said movable cover member for engaging said lever when saidcover member is moved to open position for disengaging said clutchmembers.

7. A driving mechanism for power washing machines having fixed andmovable cover members, comprising a driving member on the fixed covermember formed with a pair of oppositely arranged eccentrics, a housingcarried by the movable cover member and adjustable relatively to saiddriving member, a dolly device journaled for rotary oscillation in saidhousing, a flexible connector fixed intermediate of its ends to saiddolly device and extending outside of said housing, operativeconnections between each of said eccentrics and an end portion of saidflexible connector, and a brace having a bearing on said drivingmemberbetweenthe pair of eccentrics and having adjustableconnected thereto, adriving member carried by saidsupport, a driven member carried by saidhinged member7 clutch-controlled` driving connections between saiddriving and driven members, a shifting lever for controlling said clutchconnections, and means connected with said shifting lever and acted uponby said hinged member for disengaging the clutch connections when saidhinged member is moved in either direction.

v9. A Vdevice of the class described, comprising a support, a memberhingedly connected thereto, a driving member carried by said support, adriven member carried by said hinged member, clutch-controlled drivingconnections between said driving and driven members, a shifting leverfor controlling said clutch connections, an automatic shifting armsecured to said shifting lever and formed with aA notch, and a camdescribed, com- Wedge carried by said hinged member and adaptedtotraverse said-notchrto operate said shifting lever and disconnect theclutch connections when said hinged member is moved to open position.

10. A device of the class described, comv prising a support, a memberhingedly connected thereto, a driving member carried by said support, adriven member carried by said hinged member, clutch-controlled drivingconnections between saidy driving and driven-members, a shifting leverfor controlling said clutch connections, anV automatic shifting armsecured to said lever and formed with a notch, and a cam wedge formedwith oppositely inclined aces,sa1d cam wedge being carried by saidVhinged member and adaptedV to travel through said notch when saidhingedmember vis moved' in either direction. Y

Signed at Clarinda, in the countyof Page and State` of Iowa, this 12thday of February, 1918. Y Y

' .HERMAN H. TOLL- FRANK C. DUFF.,A

